1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an active matrix liquid crystal display panel which is integral with peripheral driver circuits, as well as to various apparatuses using such a panel.
2. Description of the Related Art
An active matrix liquid crystal display panel is known in which an active matrix circuit and peripheral driver circuits for driving it are integrated on a glass substrate or a quartz substrate. In such an active matrix liquid crystal display panel, various measures have been taken to minimize the area of portions unnecessary for display, i.e., the area occupied by the peripheral driver circuits.
On the other hand, in the liquid crystal display panel, a sealing member is provided in a peripheral portion to hold, i.e., confine a liquid crystal between a pair of substrates. As one measure to minimize the area of portions unnecessary for display, it is now required to reduce the area occupied by the sealing member.
The active matrix liquid crystal display panel which is integral with the peripheral driver circuits has a problem that failures likely occur in the peripheral driver circuits. This tendency is more remarkable in a configuration in which part of the sealing member is disposed above the peripheral driver circuits.
This problem occurs in the following manner. The sealing member contains a kind of spacer called a filler to maintain the gap between the substrates. In general, the peripheral driver circuits have a very high degree of integration. In these circumstances, pressure is exerted from the filler on thin-film transistors and a wiring of the peripheral driver circuits which are located right under the filler (the pressure is estimated to be very strong locally), so that a line disconnection, a contact failure, and even a disconnection of a semiconductor layer are likely to occur.
Although spherical substrate gap holding means called spacers are also used in the active matrix area, the occurrence of failures in the active matrix area due to the existence of the spacers is not so serious as in the peripheral driver circuits, because the degree of integration is low in the active matrix area.